Chapter 95: I Have Been Betrayed Three Times

Lu Xiaofeng stared fixedly at Gu Qing.

If Gu Qing had at this moment displayed the spirit of a righteous hero, pounding his chest and promising, “I’ll protect Miss Xue,” or “This is my duty,” Lu Xiaofeng would have agreed—but Gu Qing’s winking and scheming, clearly hoping Lu Xiaofeng would hand Xue Bing over, made Lu Xiaofeng uneasy.

Lu Xiaofeng turned his head, glanced at Xue Bing’s flushed face, then at Gu Qing, and said: “You don’t have designs on Xue Bing, do you?”

“Oh come on, am I the kind who targets his friend’s woman?”

Gu Qing looked troubled and said: “I’m taking a risk here. You’ve made so many enemies—once you leave, they’ll all come after me. Who else will handle them?”

Lu Xiaofeng shook his head; if it came to making enemies, he felt he was nowhere near as bad as Gu Qing.

Gu Qing was neither righteous nor evil—he offended everyone equally. Lu Xiaofeng believed that if Gu Qing’s fists were even slightly softer, people would line up to trouble him.

“Impossible—I won’t entrust Xue Bing to you!”

Lu Xiaofeng spoke with finality.

That seductress Shangguan Feiyan obeyed Gu Qing obediently—what might Xue Bing become if she were near him?

“Xue Bing is in danger with you.”

Gu Qing said.

The ancient world could be cruel. Lu Xiaofeng trusted his friends deeply, but they kept turning traitorous—leading him to misplace his trust.

Jin Jiuling was the most capable constable in the Six Ministries in three hundred years; his betrayal caught Lu Xiaofeng off guard. The Snake King was one of Lu Xiaofeng’s most trusted friends—his treachery pierced his heart. These twin betrayals led directly to Xue Bing’s tragic end.

Gu Qing asking Lu Xiaofeng to entrust Xue Bing was, in fact, saving her.

“Thank you.”

Lu Xiaofeng said coolly: “My enemies are fewer than yours, and my friends are more than yours.” After speaking, he looked at Xue Bing and smiled at her.

At that moment, a drunken man stumbled over, wrapped his arm around Lu Xiaofeng’s neck, and grinned: “I know you—you’re Lu Xiaofeng.”

Lu Xiaofeng glanced at Gu Qing, smirking proudly: “This is Sun Zhong—a famous figure in the Jianghu.”

Gu Qing nodded.

Sun Zhong, however, turned his gaze to Xue Bing and said to Lu Xiaofeng: “Your female companion is so fetching—you could squeeze water out of her with a pinch.”

Lu Xiaofeng stiffened slightly—he realized his friend had come for Xue Bing.

Gu Qing stifled a laugh, watching as Sun Zhong clung to Lu Xiaofeng’s neck, stared greedily at Xue Bing, and kept talking, trying to lure her away—until finally, Sun Zhong boldly reached for Xue Bing’s hand.

“Shhh!”

A flash of blade—Sun Zhong’s hand fell to the ground.

Lu Xiaofeng’s face tightened, ready to scold Xue Bing for drawing her blade so carelessly—until he saw Gu Qing propping his head in his hand, barely holding back his laughter.

“Lu Xiaofeng, you’ve got quite the friend.”

Gu Qing chuckled.

“He’s not my friend!”

Lu Xiaofeng shoved Sun Zhong away, sternly saying: “I met Sun Zhong only once—at a birthday banquet. We shared one meal.”

If sharing one meal made someone a friend, Lu Xiaofeng would have friends all over the world!

Some of Sun Zhong’s companions approached, learned who sat at the table, dragged him back, and left the severed hand lying on the ground, ignored.

“In short—I won’t let Xue Bing go with you.”

After calming himself, Lu Xiaofeng insisted again.

Gu Qing sighed for him: “One only grows through loss. Refusing to grow makes you a perpetual child.”

Refusing to grow? A perpetual child?

Kong Zhaixing, overhearing this nonsense, burst into laughter. Xue Bing giggled uncontrollably beside him—only Lu Xiaofeng kept a stern face.

“If you keep this up, you’ll lose my friendship.”

Lu Xiaofeng snapped.

Gu Qing shook his head: “I’m telling you serious truth—why won’t you believe me?”

Yang Guo, after being rushed by Gu Qing, became an emperor.

Lu Xiaofeng sneered, poured himself wine and drank with Kong Zhaixing. Xue Bing watched with a smile—she loved watching men compete in drinking. Gu Qing, meanwhile, remained calm, nibbling dried fruits, observing Lu Xiaofeng and Kong Zhaixing perform their rivalry.

The two men wrestled with each other until midnight, trading cunning schemes, each admiring the other’s skill—until suddenly Kong Zhaixing turned purple, collapsed to the ground, and slowly extended his hand, as if dying.

“Kong Zhaixing, what’s wrong?”

Lu Xiaofeng rushed to hold him.

“Qixia Nunnery…”

Kong Zhaixing seemed to be speaking his last words.

“Fine—I’ll take you to Qixia Nunnery with Xue Bing right away!”

Lu Xiaofeng, sensing a life was at stake, rushed to Xue Bing’s room—only to find it empty. On the table lay a note in Gu Qing’s handwriting.

“Lu Xiaofeng, you shouldn’t refuse to grow.”

Gu Qing had already taken Xue Bing away.

“Son of a bitch!”

Lu Xiaofeng cursed, turned back, found a carriage, and carried Kong Zhaixing to Qixia Nunnery.

A life was at stake—Xue Bing’s matter had to wait.

Wuyang City.

Here, red trees blazed like fire, and blue stone paths stretched beneath them—utterly unlike the misty charm of Jiangnan.

Gu Qing and Xue Bing walked side by side along the street. Xue Bing couldn’t help asking: “You really can clear the Red Shoes’ name?”

Xue Bing herself was a Red Shoe, same as Shangguan Feiyan. To her, the red silk in Lu Xiaofeng’s hand pointed squarely to the Red Shoes. When Gu Qing entered her room at night and promised to help her break the case, she followed him.

“Of course.”

Gu Qing said: “I wouldn’t lie to you over something so small.”

“Better not be lying to me.”

Xue Bing sniffed, gazing at Wuyang City: “So this is Wuyang City. I know some delicious dishes here.”

Dressed all in white, Xue Bing had long craved Cantonese food.

“Not yet.”

Gu Qing stopped her: “I’ll let you gorge on Cantonese food later—for now, come with me to collect a debt.”

Collect a debt?

Xue Bing watched as Gu Qing walked toward a female butcher—her heart tightened.

Auntie Gongsun wandered the Jianghu under countless aliases—each leaving legends: Peach Blossom Bee, Five Poisons Lady, Soul-Sucking Granny. Xiong Laolao was merely one of them. The butcher Gu Qing approached now was another alias of Auntie Gongsun.

“Sir…”

Auntie Gongsun’s voice was hoarse.

On the journey to Wuyang City, Xue Bing had secretly contacted Auntie Gongsun, telling her about Gu Qing—hence why Auntie Gongsun had come here. Now seeing Gu Qing stride straight toward her, her heart leapt.

Shangguan Feiyan, after seizing the Green Robe Tower, had grown disobedient—showing signs of betrayal. There was also a traitor within the Red Shoes now. If Gu Qing came directly to her, was Xue Bing also a traitor?

Auntie Gongsun felt the third betrayal.

“Heh…”

Gu Qing looked at Auntie Gongsun’s disguise, tapped the table, and declared: “Collecting debt!”

In Shanxi, Gu Qing had eaten candied chestnuts, won a bet—and Auntie Gongsun had fled.

This time, she couldn’t run.

(End of Chapter)